Battlestar Galactica Retrospective Thrills Fans at United Nations

Standing in a United Nations chamber before a table covered in placards for each of the 12 Battlestar Galactica colonies, Edward James Olmos delivered a stirring speech that led a crowd of reporters and students to join in a chant of "So say we all," one of the key phrases from the show.

It could have been a stirring moment in the series finale - but the moment was real.

Olmos, along with costar Mary McDonnell and executive producers Ron Moore and Dave Eick, spoke at the U.N. Tuesday about issues on the show that also face the organization, including racism, human rights, terrorism, children and armed conflict, reconciliation and more.

The View cohost Whoopi Goldberg moderated the event, which included speeches by three special guests from the U.N. and questions from an eager and engaged audience. It was hard not to feel the fan love in the room - including from Goldberg herself. "It's such an honor to be here at the U.N., and to be here with a show that I believe is probably one of the best-written shows on television - on a station that I love and adore and watch all the time."

One goal was to encourage about 100 high school students who attended from schools around New York City to find solutions to pressing global issues. Olmos applauded the students and urged their generation to reject the idea of race.

"You're a hundred champions right now who are going to go out and understand this - the adults in this room will never understand it - they'll never be able to stop using the word 'race' as a cultural determinate.

"There is no such thing as the Latino race," he added. "There is only one race, and that's what the show brought out - that's the human race."